#12 – Squat Jumps

Typically I’m not a huge fan of jumping because most women don’t know how to jump properly.

And most women are way to tight, so jumping typically causes more problems.

But if you know how to jump and land… squat jumps are a great plyometric exercise.

Plyometric exercises are all about speed of muscle contraction and power. This is a great way to build strength.

Form tip… when you jump, reach your arms up in the air… not behind you. I catch myself doing this sometimes too.

#13 – Twister Squat

This is a squat jump but adding rotation to it and balance.

I like twist squats just as a way to spice up normal squat jumps. They do require a little more join stability and coordination which is a good thing.

Just don’t get dizzy!

#14 – Forward Jumping Squat

I love doing squat jumps like this outside. I prefer that because I like to land in grass where it’s a lot softer… safer for your joints.

Form tip… make sure when you land, you land right into the next squat. So you don’t land hard on your joints… soft.

This is a great plyometric exercise and when you start racking up higher reps of these… you’ll feel it.

You can also just do this but make it a full burpee for a full body blast you won’t forget.

#15 – Split Squat

Okay. So this is essentially a lunge but it’s also a single leg squat which is why I’m including it in the squat list.

I love these because they do simulate a more balance single leg squat and that’s great. There’s no better way to get stronger legs that focus on one leg at time.

As you get stronger, you can move to pistol squat or scorpion squats… things like these.

#16 – Pistol Squat

Pistols are great because you’re asking one leg to lift your bodyweight.

Think about that for a minute… one leg has to lift well over 100 pounds. In theory if you can do this… then with two legs there should be no reason you can’t load a barbell up with over 200 pounds and complete a squat.

Notice I’m holding onto my foot. This is because pistol squats do take mobility and I lack the mobility to do this without holding onto my foot. It’s something I am working on.

#17 – Scorpion Squat

Scorpion squats are similar to pistol squats because they are a single leg squat… BUT they don’t require as much mobility.

A scorpion squat makes it easier to stay over your foot like you should in a pistol squat and for that reason these are pretty tough.

In picture number 2… I am not over my foot enough. If you were to see me get up from this position… I’d have to lean over my foot.

So remember, you want to stay over the foot your using without getting up on your toes.

#18 – Dumbbell Squat

This is the same as a goblet squat and rack squat an double kettlebell rack squat. Just with dumbbells.

There is nothing that will hold you back no matter the equipment you have.

#19 – Goblet Squat

You can do it with a kettlebell or dumbbell (like in this blog post about different ways to hold a dumbbell.)

It’s a great way to learn how to squat properly because the weight forces your body to stay upright… and it compensates for a lack of mobility in your hips… helping you sit your hips down.

But it still takes practice.

Just like the bodyweight squat… play with tempo and different weights too.

#20 – Suitcase Squat

A suitcase squat can be done a million different ways too.

But the purpose of this is to create an offset of weight forcing your body to brace and balance.

This can be a great way to train for imbalance. Let’s say you carry a bag for your job all day on one side.

You can train your other side by doing farmers carry’s and suitcase squats.

Let’s say you have a baby you tend to carry all on one side.

You can train your other side with rack carry’s or suitcase squats.

Imbalance training is very functional.

#21 – Racked Squat

Same as the suitcase squat, this creates an offset of weight.

The big difference with a racked squat… which you can use a dumbbell for too… is…

One it’s a little easier to squat because the weight doesn’t get in the way of your legs.

Two it works your shoulder muscles (rotator cuff muscles) a lot… which I love.

I think getting a strong rack position is huge and will help you in so many other area of strength and endurance.

#22 – Front Barbell Squat

I don’t do this nearly as much as I should. See even I remembered classic squats I need to add into my routine more.

One form tip… make sure you keep your entire hand on the bar. You don’t want to only put two or three fingers on the bar. This will require some mobility work in your lats, triceps, and even your rotator cuff muscles.

With the font squat, you’re able to keep your toros much taller compared to a back squat.

Keep your elbows high and your core tight.

I think this is one of the best squat variations for total body strength.

#23 – Back Squat

This is probably the best squat for maximizing leg strength… without using machines that is.

One quick form tip… make sure you squeeze your shoulder blades together and get your elbows pointing back… NOT straight down.

I love to do these using a box and actually sit on the box and then stand up.

Also bracing is key with back squatting. Correct bracing will help you from tilting your hips down… it will help with keep your toros tall… and it helps prevent back pain.

An in-depth post on the back squat is here.

#24 – Squat Thrusters

I’m using a kettlebell here but you can use a barbell as well. You can also use two kettlebells or two dumbbells… there are many ways you can go about doing a squat thruster.

The key is to use your legs and transfer the energy all the way up as you push the weight over your head.

So it’s not two distinct moves… it’s one move from squat all the way up.

This will where you out fast and that’s why they are so good!

#25 – Overhead Barbell Squat

This is a very hard squat to do because it requires a lot of shoulder mobility… and most people don’t have good shoulder mobility.

However you can build to this.

The way I’m showing this here is a great way to test your mobility and make sure you’re keeping good form while practicing this squat.

Start by sitting on a box with the bar behind you.

Press it up and brace your body.

Then stand up… and see if you can sit back down too.

This squat is great because it requires total body control.

This is why you should join Fit Women’s Weekly

I teach you how to do all of these variations and I use them in my workouts.

The best part is all of the workouts in Fit Women’s Weekly are filmed so you can workout with me when you want to test your abilities.

It’s going to be tough… intense… and push you to the limits.

But these are the reasons why if you stay the course, you’ll get results.

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